6u532b

It's a strong cast, and they are all bringing it, but the whole thing felt a bit too much like a Succession B-Side for me.

The direction, the design, the intensely charged performances...everything about it is sublime.

Joan Micklin Silver, I love you. Another gem in the canon of stylish, cozy New York City rom-coms.

It has been a long time since I've seen a movie that has affected me so deeply - that days later leaves me still processing, feeling, thinking, questioning...

The Piano Teacher provokes many questions and provides few answers. We know so much about our protagonist and yet so little. The film presents things very matter of factly and without judgement. Shots are often held for an uncomfortable amount of time. The entire films feels intensely intimate and private, like we are seeing something we shouldn't be, but we cannot look away.

I am compelled by the use of music and silence in the film, which function as an important part of the emotional core and narrative. The Piano Teacher is not about music, but is set in a world of music, in which music plays an integral role in everyone's life.

Aside from the music that the characters are playing in rehearsals or performances, I do not believe there is a score. Haneke's use of measured silence in contrast with the intensity of the classical music is very effective. He has given equal weight to the importance of music, of silence, and of dialogue in carrying the story forward. Much is conveyed through silence and much is left unsaid.

The cast is all strong. Isabella Huppert is astounding. Her performance feels deeply truthful and grounded. Haneke's directing style seems to require a certain raw intimacy, and her work is exactly that. A beautifully tragic, intense, quiet, messy, slow burn of a performance. Probably one of my favorite film performances ever.

The film itself is also a slow burn that quickly unravels once it catches fire, and I was simultaneously disturbed, enraptured, and moved to tears.

It's hard to describe a movie that is so painful as beautiful - but this idea of two intensely contrasting things coexisting is what sits at the film's core, in everything from it's own structure to the way Erika exists in the world. Repression and freedom. Beauty and ugliness. Desire and shame. Loneliness and connection. Abuse and love. Despair and possibility - not even hope, but possibility. Even the film's final moment, left open to interpretation, somehow asks you to hold both despair and possibility in your hands.

The Piano Teacher is hard hitting, complex, emotionally charged stuff. One of the most well crafted and cathartic films I've ever seen.

This has so much heart and a fantastic ensemble. I enjoyed seeing Vince Vaughn in such an earnest, sweet role.

I love what this had to say about music, music as a catalyst, how it can reach across time, how it can change the course of someone's life.

A treat to watch in IMAX. Like most Miyazaki films - gorgeous, surreal, sprawling and epic. Manages to balance intense depth and severity with a healthy amount of silliness. It takes huge swings and connects on most of them. I was enraptured.

I really appreciated that this didn't get lost in over-explaining the complicated details of the political espionage. It was, like it's lead characters, efficient, stylish, and sexy. Classic Dad Movie ™️

I felt like I wanted it to go further. It's hard to not compare to how heavy hitting some of Bong Joon Ho's other work is. However, I loved the world design and the performances. It was funny and sweet. Robert Pattinson continues to be a delightful and surprising actor, Toni Collette was deranged as always, and Mark Ruffalo was simply grotesque. I had fun!

Like a simple, tight, funny, very stressful one act play.

I enjoyed that this achieved a real combination of absurdity and dread. I think it leaned too much into the silliness, but it was fun.

A truly delightful 80s NYC rom com. I love movies that are deeply culturally specific, ala Moonstruck or much of Ang Lee's early work. Sleeper hit!

It is hard to find any fault in a movie crafted with such heart and clear intention of style. It's simplicity is very moving to me.

It's almost too over the top for me but I enjoyed the ride. David Fincher knows how to make a movie.

I've sat with this one for a while and have been really torn. The first half of the movie was sublime. The direction, the acting, the score, everything feels intentional and truthful. This energy carried through the intermission.

The final third of the film really didn't stick the landing for me. It felt strangely heavy handed after the sharply crafted three hours that preceded it. However, I found it to be incredibly moving and effective overall. Adrian Brody is magnificent.

This was a wild ride. The rom-com ending was uncomfortable and weird and I think that tonal contrast was intentional. I loved the very unhinged performances, and gorgeous production/costume design.

I had high expectations...my takeaway is that y'all are just horny. Nicole Kidman did her thing, as always.

Loved the bold choices in everything from the design to the dialects. It was captivating and freaky and I loved it

Absolutely awful. Loved it.

It was enjoyable as an extension of the show. I pray I have transcended my Carrie/Big situationship era.

I hadn't seen this since childhood and did not how completely silly and deranged it is.

A monumental achievement. Maybe my favorite Nolan? One week later, still processing...(IMAX rerelease)

It was epic. I wish they didn't split up the verses in Defying Gravity so much...but I also really feel splitting the movies up was unnecessary. I loved the choreo and the production design.

I loved the first 30 minutes or so...but he really lost me in act two. This was way too long for how little I knew about any of the characters. Major pacing issues for me. And why call this movie Anora and give me almost zero insight into her inner emotional life? Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn are both great.

This was so funny and moving and simple and lovely. Kieran Culkin is fantastic as always. I was loving Jesse Eisenberg's wonderfully restrained and honest performance. I was floored when I found out he wrote and directed. Props to him.

Felt like an early 2000s drama that I would have compulsively rented from Blockbuster (non-derogatory).

Loved this because it was tight, stylish, and knew exactly what it was. Great score, great acting, great cinematography, and well paced. Really captured the inherent DRAMA, theatricality and severity of Catholicism.

I have never seen a movie quite like this! Which is yet another reason why I consider Pharrell to be one of the most unique, brilliant, iconic creatives of this generation. This movie will inspire a new generation of young artists. (It inspired me!) So fun and strangely moving.

Rewatching this during hurricane evacuations saved me. Comfort movie classic. I fucking love Nancy Meyers.

Saoirse carried this

Finally watched this and was actually surprised how much it blew me away. Felt so much more harrowing, mature, and real than his other mob features. I do feel he could have shaved some time off, which might have made it more effective? Idk man. The whole cast is going crazy too. A treat to watch DeNiro and Pacino do their thing.

went WAY farther than I ever imagined. Incredibly disturbing and sad (and funny???) One of the craziest viewing experiences I've ever had in a movie theatre. Everyone is firing on all cylinders.

Mary Oliver is SHOOK

(this was beautiful and wrecked me emotionally, they found their place in the natural order of things!!!!!)

silly and fun but lost steam in the middle. love Daniel Craig's dialect work/styling!!

Loved how completely weird and unique this was. So smart and funny and painful. Props to Julio Torres. Tilda Swinton is batshit and fantastic as ever. Love her.

If we got claymation Jeffrey Jones, we deserved claymation Otho!!!

I loved a lot of what this was doing, but found the narrative a bit disted. Big Riz Ahmed fan though. The ending hit.

absolutely gorgeous on every level.

Painfully truthful and relatable. Perfectly captured the feeling of growing up in that moment in time. Fantastic performances. I loved how imperfect everyone was. I loved this.

I loved this. Such a stylish, tight, classic thriller. I can see how much this influenced a lot of modern movies I love, and it's interesting to consider as a spiritual sequel to The Conversation. I did not understand, however, why Nancy Allen's character was Adelaide from Guys and Dolls.

That young man playing Cal has a real future I think

This was so much more than I expected...a crazy and beautiful film!! Ang Lee you legend!!!

a film in the Shyamalanian cinematic tradition (batshit, too many twists, made me kinda mad, still somewhat enjoyable)

I love early Ang Lee...so cozy, touching, and insightful

the final act was very disturbing. Need the mountain people to make me breakfast rn.

My favorite kind of film...small, simple, and honest. Great performances from Edie Falco and Jay Duplass. Lovely.

A beautifully drawn, sweet, silly film. I also kind of love the weird, unnecessary songs. Very cozy and moving!

this was all fun and games until that final shot...disturbing

This was a wild ride...loved the stylistic choices and it tapped into a truthful emotional core for me. Hunter Schaefer is fantastic. Felt very AHS (in a good way)

this movie was crispy

After part two ended, my friend asked me how I was feeling, to which I responded "bewitched, bothered and bewildered."

• Stop Making Sense

  🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

• When Harry Met Sally...
• The Court Jester
• The Matrix
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Movies I've seen once long ago (or fell asleep during) and want to revisit

• Lady Bird
• Little Women
• La La Land
• The Great Escape
• Spirited Away
• Kiki's Delivery Service
• Drive My Car
• Isle of Dogs
• TÁR
• The Northman

...plus 12 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.